“What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.”-Scott Westerfeld

Saturday, November 30, 2013

My Blow-Dry Routine ♥ Hair Post


Hey there! Today's post is all about hair. I'm going to be sharing with you my hair drying routine! I've been blow-drying my hair like this for the past few months and I absolutely love the outcome. I don't do anything too crazy or extravagant, it's a pretty straight forward routine so it should be really easy to follow. I mean, it's not rocket science or anything! Hopefully you can learn a few hair drying tips from me, or some new hair product ideas to apply to your blow-dry routine. Watch My Blow-Dry Routine video here:



Products used~
 ¤ Blow Pro- Ready Set Blow express blow dry lotion
 ¤ Organix Thick & Full biotin & collagen Root Boost Spray
 ¤ Tortoise Handle Comb
 ¤ Bed Head Paddle Brush
 ¤ (2) 3" Alligator Clips
 ¤ Olivia Garden 2 1/8" Ceramic + Ion Tourmaline Round Brush
 ¤ Hot Tools Professional Ionic Hair Dryer
 ¤ 1" Flat Iron
 ¤ 3" Conair Curling Iron
That's pretty much the gist of it! Nothing too crazy, pretty straight forward and definitely not complicated! I really hope that you enjoyed today's hair post, thanks so much for stopping by and until next time, I hope that you have a beautiful day!
Katie

Hypersmash.com

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Baked Beauties Series ♥ APPLE CAKE


I'm so excited to share with you guys my first video for my new Baked Beauties Series on my channel! As much as I love makeup, I also really love to bake (and eat)! Since it's the Holiday season I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of my favorite recipes with you. Today's Baked Beauty is an Apple Cake that is dense, delicious and super easy to make! Follow along and let's get baking!


I found the original recipe on foodgawker.com (here's the link: http://pinchofyum.com/cinnamon-sugar-apple-cake), but tweaked it a little bit to suit my taste! 

~Apple Cake~
¤ Ingredients- 
1 1/2 Cups Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (you can use vanilla extract)
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Apple- about 2 medium apples (I used Granny Smith) 
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Apple Pie Spice (you can use cinnamon)
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (melted)

¤ Instructions-
1. Preheat oven to 325*F 
2. In a small bowl mix the chopped apples, granulated sugar, apple pie spice and melted butter. Mix thoroughly, set aside. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, egg and buttermilk. To the mixture, add the baking soda, vanilla and flour. Stir with a wooden spoon (you can also use an electric mixer) until combined. *It is easier to add the flour a little at a time, but do whatever works for you!!* 
4. Pour the batter into a greased (I used Pam) 9x13 baking dish. 
5. Sprinkle the apple topping mixture evenly on top of the batter. 
6. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. 
7. Serve warm! Delicious on it's own or spruce it up with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

¤ Tools you'll need-
1 cutting board 
1 knife 
1 small mixing bowl
1 large mixing bowl
1 whisk
1 wooden spoon (or electric mixer with attachments)
1 9x13 baking dish

I really hope that you enjoyed my first baking video for my Baked Beauties series! If you give this recipe a try please be sure to take a pic of it and tweet it to me or instagram it @toabeautifulyou
Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Holidays and until next time, I hope that you have a beautiful day!
Katie

Hypersmash.com

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Birthday Haul ♥ Sephora, MAC, Elizabeth Arden


It was my Birthday on the 4th and I was fortunate enough to receive some awesome gifts from my loved ones! I thought I would share what I got with you guys because most, if not all, of the products shown in this haul will be used in upcoming tutorials! So I wanted to give a more detailed look into what I got, swatch some of the products and give an initial review. With that being said, lets jump right in!



Sephora~
  ¤ Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
    * mini Veil Mineral Primer
  ¤ Benefit Cosmetics Real Birthing Turn-Ons!
    * Watt's Up! + They're Real! Mascara
MAC~
  ¤ Custom Eye Shadow Palette x 15
    * Vanilla, Nylon, Shroom, Naked Lunch, Jest, All That Glitters, Soft Brown, Cork, Charcoal Brown,               Swiss Chocolate, Woodwinked, Satin Taupe, Brun, Cranberry + Sketch
  ¤ Custom Blush Palette x 6
    * Pink Swoon, Springsheen, Desert Rose, Gingerly, Peachykeen + Ambering Rose
  ¤ Nocturnal Lip Gloss-Coral
    * Moth To Flame (dazzleglass), On The Scene (Cremesheen Glass), Star Quality (Cremesheen Glass) +         Night Is Young (Cremesheen Glass)
  ¤ Fix +
  ¤ Studio Finish Concealer in NW15
  ¤ Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle
¤ Elizabeth Arden-
   * Good Morning Skin Serum
   * Sensitive Skin Calming Moisture Lotion
   * Good Night's Sleep Restoring Cream
¤ Nicole by OPI-
   * Luke Of The Draw
   * Sweet Dreams
   * Confetti Fun
   * Love Your Life
¤ Revlon Nail Enamel-
   * Scandalous
   * Ritzy
Sally Beauty~
   ¤ Touch of Twinkle
   ¤ Just In Claws, Santa Red My List + Be Merry, Be Bright
TJ Maxx~
   ¤ Jessica Simpson True Romance Black Ivory purse
   ¤ B Makowsky Vachetta purse

Friday, November 15, 2013

GLAM Thanksgiving Makeup ♥ Mirrors Magazine


Thanksgiving is definitely one of my favorite Holidays and sometimes I want to look extra special for Thanksgiving dinner, so I came up with this Glamorous Thanksgiving Makeup! 



Products used:
~ Face ~
¤ Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12-hr Brightening Primer
¤ MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW15
¤ MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW15
¤ Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Vary Fair/Light 
¤ Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder
~ Eyes ~
¤ Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express for Brows & Eyes- Light Brown + Dark Brown powders
¤ Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
¤ Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion in Greed
¤ MAC eyeshadow in All That Glitters, Cranberry, Vanilla, Brun + Nylon
¤ Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Liner in Nude 
¤ Maybelline Line Express Eyeliner in Ebony Black 
¤ L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara
~ Cheeks ~
¤ Benefit Hoola Bronzer
¤ MAC Powder Blush in Springsheen
¤ MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle
~ Lips ~
¤ L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude
¤ MAC Cremesheen Lip Gloss in On The Scene




Brushes used:
* Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
* Sigma Concealer F70
* Sigma Tapered Face F25
* Sonia Kashuk Spoolie Brush
* Anastasia Beverly Hills Small Angled Brush #15 
* Sigma Eye Shading E55
* Sigma Tapered Blending E35
* Sigma Tapered Blending E40
* Sigma Short Shader E20
* Sigma Pencil E30
* Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curlers
* Sigma Large Angled Contour F40
* Sigma Powder/Blush F10
* Sigma Tapered Highlighter F35


Thanks so much for stopping by and until next time I hope that you have a beautiful day and a Happy Thanksgiving! 
Katie

Thursday, November 14, 2013

QUICK Thanksgiving Makeup Look! ♥ Mirrors Magazine


Thanksgiving is, for me, all about the food and spending time with loved ones! So for the most part I don't necessarily want to spend tons of time on getting ready, I'd much rather be in the kitchen! For those of us who would much rather spend our time otherwise, but still want to look put together around our loved ones I came up with this makeup look that took me only 15 minutes to achieve!



Products used:
~ Face ~
¤ Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance
¤ Stila Stay All Day Foundation & Concealer in Fair 2
¤ Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Vary Fair/ Light
¤ Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent
~ Cheeks ~
¤ Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder
¤ MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Red Head
~ Eyes ~
¤ Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes Palette- Light Brown + Dark Brown Powders
¤ Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
¤ Stila In The Know Eye Shadow Palette- Desert, Air, Wind + Earth
¤ Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara in Blackest Black
~ Lips ~
¤ Jordana Cosmetics Easyliner for Lips in Tawny
¤ Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 840 Burgundy Shine



Brushes used:
* Beauty Blender (damp)
* Sigma Tapered Face F25
* Sonia Kashuk Spoolie Brush
* Sigma Tapered Blending E35
* e.l.f. Small Angled Brush
* Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curlers
Thanks so much for stopping by, I really hope you enjoyed this Holiday makeup idea! Until next time, I hope that you have a beautiful day and a Happy Thanksgiving!
Katie

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Autumn Clothing Haul ♥ Old Navy, H&M, Kohls, Target + More!


Haul time again! I did some clothes shopping a couple of days ago and made some awesome purchases (with really great deals!!) that I wanted to share with you. Check out what I got here:



Old Navy- 
¤ Silver Sequin Tank 
   Retail: $16.94 Clearance: $6.99
¤ Coral Printed Chiffon Tank
   Retail: $19.94 Clearance: $7.97
¤ Green Tank with Bronze/Gold Sequin 
   Retail: $19.94 Clearance: $5.99
¤ Long Sleeve Polka Dot Scoop
   Retail: $12.50 Clearance: $5.99
¤ Long Sleeve Perfect Vee Green
   Retail: $10.50 Clearance: $6.00
¤ Peach-Pink Tank
   Retail: $14.94 Clearance $4.49
¤ Burgundy Cami
   Retail: $4.50
¤ Tan Cami
   Retail: $4.50
¤ Black Cami
   Retail: $4.50
¤ White Cami 
   Retail: $4.50

* Retail total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $127.30 Clearance total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $59.92 
Total paid with my 2 $10.00 Old Navy Cash Vouchers (w/ 8.1% sales tax): $ 43.17
RETAIL SAVINGS: $84.13!
Target-
¤ Hook Eye Dress 
   Retail: $24.99 Clearance $7.48

* Retail total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $27.01 Clearance total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $8.09
Total paid with my $5.00 Gift Card (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $3.09
RETAIL SAVINGS: $23.92!

KMART-
¤ Crochet Green Maxi Dress
   Retail: $27.99 Clearance $2.79
¤ Keyhole Maxi Dress
   Retail: $27.99 Clearance $4.47

* Retail total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $60.51 Clearance total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $7.85
Total paid (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $7.85
RETAIL SAVINGS: $52.66!

Fallas Discount Store-
¤ Jr Black Solid Leggings (2 pair)
   Retail: $3.99 Clearance $1.99

* Retail total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $8.63 Clearance total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $4.30
Total paid (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $4.30
RETAIL SAVINGS: $4.33!

TJ MAXX-
¤ Elizabeth Arden Millenium Eye Renewal Cream
   Retail (at Sears): $47.99 TJ Maxx Price: $12.99

* Retail total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $51.88 TJ Maxx total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $14.04
Total paid (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $14.04
RETAIL SAVINGS: $37.84!

H&M-
¤ Black Booties
   Retail: $39.99 Clearance: $9.99

* Retail total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $43.23 Clearance total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $10.80
Total paid (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $10.80
RETAIL SAVINGS: $32.43!

 KOHLS-
¤ Candies Canash Brown Boots
   Retail: $79.99 Clearance: $39.99

* Retail total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $86.47 Clearance total (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $43.23
Total paid with my $30.00 Kohls Cash Voucher (w/ 8.1% Sales tax): $10.80
RETAIL SAVINGS: $75.67!

Nothing makes me happier than saving all that $$$ on items that I love!! Don't forget to check your clearance sections when you go shopping, you never know what you can find if you take the time to look!
Thanks for stopping by and until next time, I hope that you have a beautiful day! 
Katie



Friday, November 8, 2013

My Go-To Fall ♥ Autumn Makeup Tutorial


Today I'm going to be sharing my Go-To makeup for Fall! I've been loving this makeup look and have been wearing it like crazy lately so I thought I would share it with you! 


Products used:
-Face-
¤ Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12-hr Brightening Primer
¤ Revlon ColorStay Liquid Foundation in 150 Buff + 180 Sand Beige
¤ L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealer in Fair/Light N1-2-3
¤ Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Very Fair/Light
¤ Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent
-Eyes-
¤ Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Shadow Primer
¤ Lorac Pro Eye Shadow Palette- Garnet, Lt. Bronze, Mauve, Sable, Cream, Champagne + Espresso
¤ ULTA Kohl Eye Liner in Chocolate
¤ L'Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
-Cheeks-
¤ Lorac TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo
¤ Sleek Blush By 3 Palette- Lace Palette
-Lips-
¤ Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Precious
¤ Smashbox Lip Gloss in Candid


Brushes used:
* Beauty Blender (damp)
* Sigma Tapered Face F25
* e.l.f. All-Over Eyeshadow Brush
* Sigma Blending E25
* Sigma Tapered Blending E35
* Sigma Eyeliner E05
* e.l.f. Small Angled Brush
* Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curlers
* Sigma Large Angled Contour F40
* Sigma Powder/Blush F10
* Sigma Tapered Highlighter F35